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Basically, if you happen to be bored one day, and you feel like creating your own "original" (or maybe completely original) anime character, how would you go about it? If you have the artistic skill to draw something like this -- GREAT. If you don't, how would you go about learning to do so? Of course, this is all assuming that you're willing to do so.

Basically, I am looking for some kind of abstract description on designing an anime character. Either use your imagination, your expertise, or someone else's opinion. Whatever.

Essentially, if you don't know how to draw an anime character, how would you go about learning to do so?

Anything regarding "story". That can be handled later, although, it does play a significant role in how a character would look like. You can't have pirates doing accounting jobs, for example; unless you're crazy enough to do something like that.

I have a half-Japanese friend who is pretty good at this stuff,so I would consult him for advice. (Which I am planning to do)

Hmm,let's see.

* She's about 180 cm. She has a pretty face. She has long white hair and red eyes because she suffers from albinism. She's shy and introvert when around others but she is a valuable friend. She keeps secrets.
* She barely gets any leisure time,and when she does,she prefers to read a book or write on her diary.
* She is the co-pilot in the air force,in a close air support VTOL aircraft.
* Plain,usually white to reflect sunlight as much as possible. She also almost always wears sunglasses and sunscreen. She didn't once and she had burns all over her chest.
* She is very talkative when with friends,she keeps secrets. But she is afraid of losing any more people dear to her, as she had already lost enough at the war three years ago. She feels guilt but also anger towards the people responsible for the war.

Dang it Avalon, you c(XD LOL)-block Shirou and Reinforce, but don't protect his mind in other ways? What is wrong, you woman?
Friendship, be made! Magical power, gather! Starlight Breaker.... this world!

You know, I've always wondered how an ultimate fusion of all standard archetypes/moe traits would turn out.

Basic traits
A 14-year-old, 145 cm tall DFC loli who periodically switches hairstyles from long hair to twintail to ponytail, bears a conspicious ahoge, and has fangs. Her hair is pink, but she possesses red/green heterochromatic eyes. Due to this, she mostly prefers to wear an eyepatch.

Personality
When talking with the boy she likes, she acts like a tsundere. In truth however, she is also an osananajimi of the protagonist, and can occasionally become a bit of a yandere everytime she sees others girls approach him. She is a little sister of a brother who always teases her. Towards strangers, she appears aloof and shy, but at home she acts like a clumsy genki girl.

Job/Occupation
She works several jobs each day. In the morning, she goes to school; during afternoon-evening, she works at a maid cafe; at night, she hunts bad guys as a magical girl.

Dress styles
Normal seifuku during school hours, elaborate frilly nekomimi maid costume at work, and pink ribboned combat dress in battles. Dons a zettai ryouki during all hours, as well as a shimapan underneath her skirt.

I wanted to add glasses in there somewhere, but that wouldn't fit very well with the eyepatch. I'm sure she's already good enough to win every Saimoe in existence for the next 10 years though.

Blue haired one is a semi-hikky cousin, 17 but never left her estate until joining the harem.

The cheerful neighbour, happens to be school idol and all the usual. Likes to tease the protagonist but genuinely likes him.

Central protagonist male char (it does start out haremish, afterall) with the usual suddenly surrounded by many girls dismay not wanting any trouble to his life, he ends up rather fine with the situation (in the first volume, anyway).

The Miko, very traditional proper girl, mildly tsun (nothing near Rie level though) who ends up just becoming part of the harem.

The twin sister, who just laughs at everything her poor brother goes through.

Sister's best friend, who absolutely loathes the male lead and thinks he's a horrible perv what with all these girls around. And it is definitely not tsun, she really does hate him.

There are a few other characters to the story but this is the central cast, and I've written probably 300k words to the story, though it's been a fair while since I did anything with it. The first volume was haremy buildup, second volume was battle, war and death (Can't be generic fluff) third was never completed though I had planned to conclude the story there anyhow. I have some other pictures, too, but eh. I gave up on the project in order to start another. ^^;

[*]What does the character look like? Gender? Height? Other basic traits.
Light brown hair, has a green eye on her left, blue on right, female, 187cm tall, energetic also enthusiastic, likes anime, manga and games like a lot.

[*] What he/she would be doing?
Socializing with friends or playing games or watching anime

What does the character look like? Gender? Height? Other basic traits.
Bright pink/gold hybrid hair tied with a long side tail, fire red eyes, female, 1m54, has fangs but has scar in her back. Has a bright, lively and energic personnality.

What he/she would be doing?
Protagonist's cheerful classmate. She acts as lively towards her female friends, has tomboyish look, but she acts aloof and abrasive towards the protagonist. The reason she do is due to her very dark past.

Ensemble cast, ranging from Lilith the first woman, to a bunch of teenagers after an apocalypse that happened in 2012. Storyline covers the time before recorded history, with Lilith, then goes to the Crusades, also covers the golden age of the Warsaw ghetto with two sisters and their rabbi father. After them, cue World War II. After World War II, follow a mercenary born during the Vietnam War and having to fight the dirty wars of the 1980s and 1990s until he is dragged into a conspiracy involving the mentioned jewish sisters, and the nazi remnants in 1999. Last generation are taken for a final conspiracy for the future of humankind in 2012.

Almost every age ranges are covered, occupations goes from First Woman of the humankind, to Templar knights, immortal jews, nazis, PMCs, and highschoolers awakening to their powers.

Anything regarding "story". That can be handled later, although, it does play a significant role in how a character would look like -- maybe.

I actually think a character’s aesthetics would be better served if his or her personality is crafted before his or her appearance. If behavior comes first then the visual creation process offers more flexibility as prioritizing how the character looks can dictate how he or she will act based on a widespread perception of the character's design.

Suppose for a minute you create a petite, female character with two back-length blonde ponytails and a sailor tie short-skirt school uniform with thigh-high socks. I can take a guess for a lot of people that the personality description under her profile is going to be the same. This doesn’t necessarily mean a character’s behavior cannot be segregated from how his or her appearance creates a certain expectation from the audience, but I’ve noticed that archetype and design separation is the exception, not the rule.

Now let me describe an admirable, innocent girl whose earnestness resonates with those who meet her. She is courteous and never gives anything less than her best, as if atoning for a wrong she feels she committed. The burden she might take to help the people she cares for could never go away, but neither will her strength of character in dealing with the situation.

Now come up with her appearance or describe what you envisioned from that personality description. Chances are that this design is going to vary from person to person.

__________________

I'm saying that practically nobody feels that they're talented.
That's what makes us strive to improve.
As we strive to improve
we notice the people around us improving too
which makes us work even harder.
In a way, I guess you could say friends are like rivals

Normally I would think about a story, then give the characters a background story, that would give them their basic traits.

But just for fun

What does the character look like? Gender? Height? Other basic traits.
Male, 168cm,What he/she would be doing?
Trying to get a job in the media industryJob/Occupation?
Want-to-be-celebrityDress styles? Assuming you're capable of handling different clothing.
Nothing particular, but product placement like hell. So stylish stuff, I guess.

Etc
maybe a tattoo, either with spelling mistake or something in kanji/chinese, that says something different than what he think it stands for.

What does the character look like? Gender? Height? Other basic traits.
Male, very tall, enormous teeth, Cheshire Cat grinWhat he/she would be doing?
He'd be a villain, of course. Job/Occupation?
He would have lofty goals about saving the world, but go about it in a most destructive way. Dress styles? Assuming you're capable of handling different clothing.
He'd wear basically a suit, with a long scarf the blows in the wind, a large claw on one hand, and frail-looking lady fingers on his other hand. One eye would be blue, and the other would be red.

What does the character look like? Gender? Height? Other basic traits.
Male, 19yr old, 166~175cm (5'5"~5'9"), Black hair with a blonde highlight, or some colorful non-orange non-brown perm. Terribly sarcastic, likes to give a smile of death that makes you want to rip out your eyes and hide in a corner.

What he/she would be doing?
A surprisingly dependable and wise anti-hero. Realistic slice-of-life or supernatural, I don't really care. But he's gotta be a weirdo who's always around and not the main protagonist.

There's not enough existing male anime characters that I like. I could design female characters all I want but this male character feels very necessary and needed. Like a mix of Gintoki from Gintama, Sousuke from FMP and Izaya from Durarara. Without Sousuke/Izaya's violence and without Gintoki's fake retardism (bit too silly) xD

A huge ensemble of heroes that will save the world (the ones above me XD).

__________________

Dang it Avalon, you c(XD LOL)-block Shirou and Reinforce, but don't protect his mind in other ways? What is wrong, you woman?
Friendship, be made! Magical power, gather! Starlight Breaker.... this world!

"just coming up with characters" is what bored kids do on their blank notebooks during class, or when they are first introduced to web page designing.

A character is a most effectively a literacy device that is defined in context of the content.
Without the creation of the appropriate context, I see little difference between expressing creation of a character and a child jumping up and down grabbing attention of a parent.

Just my two cents, keep that somewhere in mind creative ones.
The overall picture is far more important than a single element of it.
Even the characters we grew to love beyond the context, first gave its life within it.

Basically, if you happen to be bored one day, and you feel like creating your own "original" (or maybe completely original) anime character, how would you go about it? If you have the artistic skill to draw something like this -- GREAT. If you don't, how would you go about learning to do so? Of course, this is all assuming that you're willing to do so.

Basically, I am looking for some kind of abstract description on designing an anime character. Either use your imagination, your expertise, or someone else's opinion. Whatever.

Relevant questions:

What does the character look like? Gender? Height? Other basic traits.

What he/she would be doing?

Job/Occupation?

Dress styles? Assuming you're capable of handling different clothing.

Etc.

Anything regarding "story". That can be handled later, although, it does play a significant role in how a character would look like -- maybe.

How's about moe-ified something into characters? Like OS-tan. Touhou. Helltalia. Or those series about Romance of Three Kingdoms

For example, if i choose month of the years for character (girl) design, and take December in Australia:

It's hot -> short hair, tank top and miniskirt

Light out till 8 and longer day -> super genki, but lose out her energy at night and sleep really early like child (9pm and such)

School holiday -> the character is student but part-time kindergarten caretaker, good with kids